


you don't have to say i love you, to say i love you

by chaserpercy



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types, Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan
Genre: Canon Compliant, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, F/M, POV Third Person, This idea has been stuck in my brain for years
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-18
Updated: 2019-08-18
Packaged: 2020-09-05 19:06:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,943
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20278294
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chaserpercy/pseuds/chaserpercy
Summary: She hates him, and then she doesn’t. They’re friends, and then they’re something more. A four thousand year old rivalry, and then the end of it.OR: The complete story of Percy and Annabeth’s relationship, from Annabeth’s point of view. Canon-compliant, self-indulgent, looooong overdue.





	you don't have to say i love you, to say i love you

**Author's Note:**

> (title from troye sivan's song "for him" because its a bop)
> 
> 10 years ago romance was invented on this day (aug 18 2009) when percy and annabeth got together after the battle of manhattan. Crazy how rick forgot how to write relationships after that ahaha???!?
> 
> Anyways i just finished rereading pjo and hoo AND ive been a huge percabeth stan since the beginning so this was inevitable. I don’t know how often im gonna update this but rest assured I wont stop until im done (because i literally cant stop myself). also i have not posted anything on ao3 in YEARS i apologize

**A**nnabeth is twelve when she wakes up to a loud round of thunder one June night. She’s not surprised about the thunder- the weather has been super weird since Christmas- but she can usually sleep through storms, so why not tonight? _Something’s wrong_, she thinks, so she grabs her knife and sneaks out of her cabin to find out what. Suddenly, a guttural scream pierces the air from somewhere outside camp. Eyes wide, she starts to run toward the sound.

Chiron intercepts her at the Big House, quite literally. He steps off the porch as Annabeth runs past, and he picks her up off the ground before she can go any further. Unfortunately, her momentum makes it so that she almost kicks him in the torso, but Chiron has good reflexes and manages to dodge every blow. He waits for her to stop thrashing and then sets her down in front of him.

“Annabeth, what are you doing up? Go back to sleep.” He glares. Annabeth glares back at him. _Ugh,_ why did he stop her? She’s not a little kid anymore. She deserves to know what’s going on. _Try and make me_, she challenges. Chiron only sighs, expression now resigned, and looks towards Thalia’s tree, beckoning Annabeth to turn as well.

A kid no older than Annabeth is dragging Grover down Half Blood Hill, one arm supporting Grover’s shoulder, the other arm cradling a giant horn. He’s stumbling his way to the Big House, Annabeth realizes.

“Grover’s assignment, Percy. Doesn’t know he’s a half-blood yet, but he vaporized a Kindly One a few months ago and it looks like he’s just killed another monster. Not sure what his parentage is, but he’s powerful. He’ll need a thorough debriefing. But first, rest. Go grab a stretcher and some ambrosia, Annabeth.” Chiron finishes as the demigod-satyr duo reaches the steps in front of him. Both the kid and the goat crumble to the ground in exhaustion. Chiron surges forward, inspecting their injuries.

“He’s the one. He must be.” Annabeth declares, as she looks right into the kid’s eyes. They’re bright, green, and full of grief. He must’ve seen something terrible tonight.

“Silence, Annabeth. He’s still conscious. Bring him inside.” Chiron coaxes. Annabeth dashes into the Big House to retrieve the supplies.

—

Annabeth quickly learns that this Percy kid drools in his sleep a lot. It’s not like she wanted to know, but she’d much rather help out nine year old Will Solace in the infirmary than sit around reading the same three books she’s been reading for the past five years, so she kind of _has to_ watch over Percy. It baffles her how a person can possibly produce _that much saliva_ while asleep, but there are more pressing matters at hand. Grover says Percy defeated the _Minotaur_. He doesn’t even know he’s half god yet, and he’s already killed _that_? And Chiron won’t tell her what the Olympians are mad about, and Luke is being distant, and Annabeth doesn’t really have any friends her age. So maybe Percy could be her friend, but something about him makes her uneasy. Probably because he killed the freaking _Minotaur_ with no training, combined with the fact that the last time Annabeth made friends with a powerful half blood, she _died_. So, maybe not.

—

Really, Annabeth would’ve felt bad for making Percy Clarisse-bait if he hadn’t been claimed by Poseidon. But he was, so she doesn’t feel bad at all. Besides, he doesn’t have a scratch on him. Except, there’s absolutely no way they can be friends now. Rivalry is written in their blood.

She hadn’t wanted to believe it. Percy had been perfectly cordial during his tour of camp, and he never acted like he knew he was special. But when she watches his gashes fade as he stands in the river with a trident glowing over his head, she knows it in her heart to be true. He’s gotta be the hero of the Great Prophecy, the chosen half blood of the eldest gods. _Who else_ could it be?

— 

Annabeth volunteers for the quest to find Zeus’s lightning bolt. May Athena forgive her for working with the sea spawn, but this is her chance to see the real world, her chance to get out of camp for once. He might get on her every last nerve, but some sacrifices have to be made for the greater good, right? She’s made up her mind. She’s _going_.

—

It’s not until they’re on the train going west when she starts to realize how much Percy reminds her of Thalia. She and Grover are watching him as he drools in his sleep again, and she forgets that the satyr can read emotions until he speaks up.

“He really is so similar to her. It’s weird, right?” He says softly. Annabeth turns towards Grover, lest Percy wake up and overhear them talking about him.

“Yeah, they’re both annoyingly stubborn,” She says defiantly. Grover gives her a look.

“I meant like, both stupidly brave and loyal to their friends, but sure.” He replies. Annabeth sighs. He’s right, but she doesn’t want to admit it.

“He’s not really my friend. I’m supposed to hate him. But he’s had our backs this whole quest, and it’s not like he’s ever been _mean_ to me, so I guess he’s okay.”

“Well, he’s my friend, and you’re my friend, so he’s as good as your friend too. Give that old rivalry a break, will ya?” Grover grins. Annabeth rolls her eyes.

“Yeah, whatever,” She says, but she’s grinning too.

—

On the zoo truck to Vegas, Annabeth replays the events of the quest so far. They’ve almost died at least seven times, met a couple gods and goddesses, even run from the police more than once. She doesn’t know if this is what a quest is meant to be like, but she’s glad she has Grover and, admittedly, Percy, with her. They’ve made peace. Annabeth absentmindedly rubs the scarf of Aphrodite and eats an Oreo as she thinks.

“Hey, I’m sorry for freaking out back there at the water park, Percy.” She decides to say.

“That’s okay.” He responds.

“It’s just...spiders.”

“Because of the Arachne story,” He says. Annabeth nods as he continues. He commends Grover on his flying and the three of them talk for a few moments before the topic switches to Luke, and then Thalia. Grover retells the story of Thalia’s pine with tears in his eyes and guilt in his voice.

“You’re not lame. You’ve got more courage than any satyr I’ve ever met. Name one other who would dare go to the Underworld. I bet Percy is really glad you’re here right now.” She tries to kick Percy as subtly as she can.

“Yeah, it’s not luck that you found Thalia and me, Grover. You’ve got the biggest heart of any satyr ever.” He adds something else about searching for Pan, and soon enough Grover is snoring.

With Grover asleep, the conversation then turns to the beads on Annabeth’s necklace, which turns into a story about her father that is difficult to tell. She wants to say that she misses her dad, but he hasn’t exactly ever cared about her in a way that matters.

“You should write him a letter or something,” _Not like he’d ever answer._ Her voice turns bitter.

“Thanks for the advice, but my father’s made his choice about who he wants to live with.” He doesn’t respond to that. It’s quiet until he pipes up one last time.

“So if the gods fight, will things line up the way they did with the Trojan War? Will it be Athena and Poseidon?”

Annabeth already has her eyes closed, but she figures he ought to know. “I don’t know what my mom will do. I just know I’ll fight next to you.”

“Why?”

“Because you’re my friend, Seaweed Brain. Any more stupid questions?”

—

The end of the quest (and the end of June) arrives in the blink of an eye, and now that Annabeth and Percy are officially friends, she doesn’t think twice about inviting him to her 13th birthday party. It’s unlike her to even hold a celebration, but she figures she’ll only become a teenager once, so why the Hades not?

It’s a small affair. She asks Chiron if she can have a picnic under Thalia’s tree, and he obliges. Besides him supervising, only Percy, Luke, and her siblings are there. Even Grover can’t make it, because he’s started his Search. Annabeth kinda wishes she had more friends, but she also doesn’t really know how to make new ones. Although, if she can become friends with her mother’s rival’s son, anything is possible.

“Happy birthday, Annabeth.” Percy says to her when they’re cleaning up after the picnic. She’s about to say thank you when he opens his mouth again. “You’re getting old, wise ass.” As if he’s not basically the same age as her.

Annabeth swats him on the arm. “Shut up, sea spawn. You’re supposed to respect your elders, not call them names, you know that?” He feigns hurt, clutching the spot where she gently hit him. _So dramatic._ She snorts as Percy dissolves into a fit of laughter.

It’s the best birthday she’s ever had, probably.

—

It’s the last day of the summer session when Annabeth suddenly feels like something’s wrong again. This time, there’s no thunder, the skies are clear, and no monsters are invading camp. She tries to ignore it and keeps on packing. Maybe she’s just nervous to see her dad after being away from him for so long.

Everything is normal that night. Dinner and the bonfire go off without a hitch; Annabeth cheers as Percy smiles at the trident the camp has chosen for this year’s bead. She’s proud of her friend, and proud to be his friend too.

Unfortunately, her bad feeling is correct. The next day, Percy is found unconscious in the middle of the forest, scorpion venom coursing through his veins, and by the time the news reaches Annabeth he’s almost dead. She runs to the Big House. It’s like deja vu, in the most cruel way.

Chiron is force feeding Percy nectar when she arrives. He’s passed out, his face a sickly green, his body shuddering from the poison. His right arm is swollen like crazy.

“What happened?” Annabeth asks the centaur. For once, he has no answers for her. Instead, he gets to work patching up the arm and beckons for her to help him. They fall into an uneasy silence as they watch over the son of the sea god.

Hours later, Percy finally wakes up.

“Here we go again,” He croaks, and Annabeth resists the urge to roll her eyes.

“You idiot,” She says.

As Percy retells the story of Luke’s betrayal and the murder attempt with the pit scorpion, Annabeth’s stomach churns. She knew Luke had been acting different lately, but turning on the gods and following Kronos? This is a whole new level of insane. A small part of her wants to believe that Percy’s lying- Luke is one of the most important people in her life- but Percy wouldn’t do that. She’s known him for two months, and she already trusts him with her life. So she doesn’t hesitate when she promises Percy that they’re going to hunt down Luke and stop Kronos next summer, whether they’re given a quest or not. But for now, she’s going home. She demands that Percy IM her if anything comes up, and he gives her a sideways grin.

“Take care, Seaweed Brain. Keep your eyes open.”

“You too, Wise Girl.”

**Author's Note:**

> thank you so much for reading! dont know when it will be, but whenever i write the next part ill get it up asap :) and yes 12 y/o annabeth in this chapter is so dramatic but we love her for it


End file.
